Hanoi, Vietnam (CNN) -- North Korea on Saturday heightened its threats against upcoming U.S.-supported military exercises after talks over the sinking of a South Korean warship. North Korea "will legitimately counter with [its] powerful nuclear deterrence the largest-ever nuclear war exercises to be staged by the U.S. and the South Korean puppet forces," the state-run KCNA news agency said. Earlier, the isolated communist nation vowed a "physical response" to massive U.S.-South Korean military drills set to begin Sunday. The U.S. Defense Department said the drills are in response to the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan and are intended to send a strong message to Pyongyang to stop "provocative and warlike acts."

"We would love for them to have the same opportunities that the people of
South Korean have been able to enjoy for the last 60 years," Clinton said.